Shoe press



pri 12, 1938. E A wlLLEY 2,114,197

SHOE PRESS Filed April 5, 1937 2 Sheets-ShawI l April 12, w38. E. A. WILLEY 2,14y97 SHOE PRESS Filed April 3, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 b1-g l m 'Ef Patented Apr. 12, 1938 iT E il;

STATES PATENT OFFiCE SHoE PRESS Application April 3, 1937, Serial No. 134,813

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a fluid pressure apparatus for pressing 4strips of sheet material about the lasted upper of a shoe.

In the manufacture of rubber soled shoes it is customary to apply a foxing strip or the like piece of sheet material to the lower edge of the lasted upper before applying the outsole. As the foxing strip extends completely around the lower edge of the upper with its edge inturned so as to overlie the bottom of the shoe, great care must be taken in order to obtain a satisfactory bond between the foxing strip and the irregular surfaces of the shoe. In accordance with the usual practice, the foxing strip is caused to adhere either by means of a manually operated hand roller, or a machine actuated roller. The use of a manually operated roller is time consuming and costly and although the use of a machine actuated roller reduces the time element somewhat, such machines are expensive and are not always satisfactory. In either case the pressure applied to the foxing strip at dierent points about the edge of the shoe is apt to be ununiform, and furthermore the pressure can not always be maintained for a length of time sufficient to permit the cementitous material to set or produce a satisfactory bond. i

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved press which is of simple oonstruction, reliable and efficient in operation and which overcomes the aforementioned objectionable features of the apparatus heretofore used.

Further objects will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. ll is an elevation of a press constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the pressing compartments;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a bench, table or the like supporting structure, here shown as having upright frame members I and 2, and upper and lower horizontal frames 3 and 4, the upper frame 3 supporting a pair of spaced presses, designated by the numerals 6 and 6a, and the lower frame supporting a control valve designated by the numeral 8.

Each of the presses comprises a compartment having a bottom wall I0 and a side Wall I I whose shape resembles approximately the contour of the lower part of a lasted shoe S, as shown in Figs.

3 and 4; The bottom wall I0 is provided with threaded apertures which receive screw-threaded stems I4 and I5, and these stems carry an elongate plate I which provides a support for holding the lasted Shoe in spaced relation to the bottom and side walls of the compartment, the plate I6 being substantially narrower at the width of the bottom of the lasted shoe so as to leave its marginal portions exposed. The top of the compartment is provided with a cover plate 2U having a shape conforming to the bottom wall Ill and an opening 2l which provides access to the interior of the compartment, the opening 2l preferably being shaped to permit a lasted shoe to be easily inserted and removed from the compartment.

The upper edges of the side walls extend outwardly to provide flanges 24 .and 25 having marginal beads or ribs 26 and 21 which cooperate with corresponding beads or ribs 3Il and 3l formed on the under surface of the cover and the top surface of the bottom wall, respectively. The lower flange 25 and the marginal portion of the bottom wall .are provided with registering openings which receive bolts or other fastening elements 34 which hold the side and bottom wall members together. The upper flange 24 and the marginal portion of the cover plate 20 are also provided with registering openings which receive boltsv 35 provided with wing nuts 36, or the like fastening elements for removably holding the cover in position.

An elastic diaphragm 4I) extends about the side wall with its upper and lower edges securely clamped between the beads 25, 3D and 21, SI, the width of the diaphragm being such as to bulge inwardly to provide an expansible chamber 4I whose inner wall surrounds the supporting plate I6, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The wall I I is provided with an opening 44 which receives the end of a pressure conduit 45 through which a fluid pressure medium, such as compressed air,

is introduced into and expelled from the cham- 41 and 4'!a connect the conduits i5 to pressure gauges 48 and 48a, respectively. The control valve 3 is connected by a line 5 to a suitable source of uid pressure, such as an air compressor (not shown), the pressure applied to the chambers 4l being indicated by the pressure gauges 48 and d8a. Valve 8 is such that it may be manipulated by a pedal 52 so as to assume one of three positions: a neutral position, as shown in Fig. l, wherein the lines 46, 46a and Eil are all disconnected from each other; a position wherein the line 46 is connected to the line 56 and the line 46a is connected to an exhaust line; and a third position wherein the line 46a is connected to the line 50 and the line i6 is connected to the exhaust line.

In using the apparatus a lasted shoe S having a foxing strip applied about its lower edge, is inserted in the press i5 and when properly positioned on the plate l5, the pedal 52 is depressed to connect the lines MS and 5B, whereupon the compressed air or other fluid pressure is admitted to the chamber @5, causing the diaphragm M to expand and subject the foxing strip to a substantially uniform pressure which is maintained for a period suiicient to insure proper adhesion. In the meantime another lasted shoe with its foxing strip applied, as above described, is inserted in the press 6a and when properly positioned, the pedal 52 may be tipped in the opposite direction to introduce compressed air into the chamber lli of the press 6a and simultaneously exhaust the air from the chamber ll of the press 3. During the period in which the lasted shoe in the press 6a is being subjected to pressure, the shoe in the press E may be removed and another inserted, and the operation continued.

It will be noted that during the pressing operation the diaphragm @El snugly embraces the peripheral portions of the lasted shoe and being iiexible the wall iii accommodates itself to the irregularities of the contour of the edge of the shoe, thus folding the lower edge of the foxing strip inwardly and subjecting the entire foxing strip to a substantially uniform pressure which may be maintained for any desired period of time.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a compartment having a side wall conforming approximately to the contour of the lower part oi a lasted shoe, a plate secured to the upper edge of said side wall and having an opening through which the lasted shoe may be inserted in and removed from said compartment and a bottom Wall having means for supporting the lasted shoe in spaced relation to the bottom and side walls, elastic means extending about said side wall and defining an expansible chamber, the upper and lower edges of said elastic member being clamped The valve member of theto the corresponding edges of said side wall by said plate and bottom Wall and means for introducing a fluid pressure medium into said chamber to cause it to expand and subject the edge portions of the lower part of the lasted shoe to a substantially uniform pressure.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a compartment having a side wall conforming approximately to the contour of the lower part of a lasted shoe, a plate secured to the upper edge of said side wall and having an opening through which the lasted shoe may be inserted in and removed from said compartment, and a bottom wall having adjustable means for supporting the lasted shoe in spaced relation to the bottom and side walls, ilexible means extending about said side wall and defining an expansible chamber, the upper and lower edges of said elastic member being clamped to the corresponding edges of said side wall by said plate and bottom wall and means for introducing a iiuid pressure medium into said chamber to cause it to expand and subject the lower part ofthe edge portions of the lasted shoe to a predetermined pressure.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supporting structure, a pair of compartments mounted on said supporting structure, each of said compartments comprising a bottom wall, a side wall conforming approximately to the contour of the lower part of a lasted shoe, a plate secured to the upper edge of said side wall and having an opening through which the lasted shoe may be inserted in and removed from said compartment, means for supporting a lasted shoe in spaced relation to its side and bottom walls and an elastic member extending about the interior of the compartment between the supporting means and its side wall, said elastic member dening an expansible chamber having an inner wall portion capable of being expanded so that it engages the edge portions of the lasted shoe and subjects them to a substantially uniform pressure, and means for successively introducing into and exhausting from the expansible chambers of the respective compartments a fluid pressure medium.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supporting structure, a pair of compartments mounted on said supporting structure, each oi said compartments having a side wall conforming approximately to the contour of a lasted shoe, a bottom wall having means for supporting the lasted shoe in spaced relation to the side and bottom walls, a plate secured to the upper edge of said side wall and having an opening through which the lasted shoe may be inserted in and removed from said compartment and elastic means extending about the side wall dening an expansible chamber, the upper and lower edges of said elastic member being clamped to the corresponding edges of said side wall by said plate and bottom wall and means for successively introducing into and exhausting from the expansion chambers of the respective compartments a fluid pressure medium to cause the respective chambers to expand and subject the edge portions of a lasted shoe disposed in said compartment to a substantially uniform pressure.

EDWARD A. WILLEY. 

